The kids had a great time here. Its much larger than it looks like. You can easily spend several hours here looking at all the exhibits and trying out the different activities.I like the outdoor area the best. The kids liked the interactive areas best, especially the large exhibit showing different ways to alter water flow.

This was a fun place to spend 4-5 hours walking around. They have two separate buildings, an old shipyard, & an old dredge boat to tour. We also got to feed & pet stingrays at their stingrays exhibit & really enjoyed our visit.

Amazing museum, great distancing measures put in place. A bit sad I couldnt touch the sting rays, but they are working on reintroducing them to people. Make sure to check out the ship outside! Very cool experience.

Wonderful mixture of interpretive exhibits, interactive science exhibits and live examples of river creatures. All set in a lovely building. Allow a few hours, to get the full experience.A credit to the city and local area.

Great place for all ages. Very clean, and fun exhibits to check out and interact with. Really interesting to our 4 and 2 year old.

This place is right across the parking lot from the waterpark and was awesome to see everything in there!! Kids definitely had a fun time!!

This is one of the BEST museums I’ve ever been to. So incredibly well thought out, I don’t even know where to begin. You walk in and the floors are a giant map showing the Mississippi River states. There are animals galore. It’s so fun to move from inside- to outside and back to- inside. I’ve grown up in Iowa and didn’t know 80% of the thing I learned in that museum. A wonderful experience and very affordable. I would visit once a month if I could!

The people that worked there were friendly and knowledgeable about the animals. They also had a lot of Historical facts about settlements and the tribes of the area. It is a neat place to go visit and hangout for a couple of hours. I recommend petting the stingrays. They are really neat.

Could have easily deserved 5 star. Perfect location by the Mississippi river and plenty of information to keep you engaged. BUT disappoints when it comes to aquarium. Does not meet and live up to the expectation I had from their website. At one point, I thought they only have tortoises. Still, does not hurt to visit it once.

The pandemic has impacted the offerings, but the dedicated staff and excellent design of this facility still provides a fun and personalized mostly self-guided educational experience. Allow 2-3 hours if you bring kids and take advantage of the outdoor areas.

THANK YOU FOR BEING OPEN! We came for your Halloween event and we drove pretty far because there is no where else to take the kids. Everything is virtual now and it stinks. This makes me want to explore Iowa more.

A wonderful and informative place. I actually regret not being able to spend more time at this place. I would say reserve at least 3 hours to be able to fully explore the place. Special mention of the wonderful and helpful staff at this place. The aquarium exhibits are nice and so is the museum part of the place. My kid enjoyed the play area explaining the river system and also the special fairy tales area. We also got to see the cute baby shark!! Would highly recommend visiting this wonderful, fun and informative place.

This place is great! We loved it. Kept 6 and 7 year old girls entertained for a couple hours. And the adults were also captivated. If you hit a couple of the gift shops like we did its not a cheap outing factoring in cost of admittance. But worth every dime!!

We try to make it here at least once every year and this year we enjoyed it the most! Our boys loved feeding the Stingray and just learning about them and other creaturss there! Everyone is so friendly and helpful!

You can use student ID （undergrad grad) for a 9.95 dollars ticket.It’s a good place to learn American history especially for international studentsAll the lathe and machine things looks amazing considering it was back to 100 years ago.You can also learn about creatures in Mississippi RiverEZ parking and friendly staff.

This was a welcome and wonderful surprise! We were greeted by a very friendly and extremely informative man. The adult entry price was $16.95 and it was very much worth it!!There is something for everyone. Fish, alligator, otters, octopus, stingrays you can touch and much more! Lots of history for adults and many hands on activities for children.Board an old riverboat and see the engine room kitchen galley, bunk area and more. Stop for. Bite to eat in the multiple cafe areas or grab a snack in one if the gift shops.See a free informational movie or watch a 4D for a fee.I highly recommend planning to spen a morning or afternoon S 3-4 hours or so is just about right.

Wonderful programming. Great conservation efforts. Friendly staff. Good membership benefits. Currently taking great COVID-19 precautions.

Very Educational. Our son enjoyed everything there. I liked going on the dredge boat , Willliam M Black. Everyone enjoyed the aquarium exhibits.

Fantastic! Very interesting and hands on! Lots to see and learn! I love my Mississippi River!

So wonderful and informative! Great place for a day trip with kids or even to rent for an event like a wedding!

Very interesting and fun. We fed the stingrays and had a blast. Very friendly staff as well

Was a great way to spend a hot day. Alot to see snd learn about.

Fun. Otters. Ducks. Stingrays. I touched it. Ghosts probably.

Awesome place. Great hosts

Staff was super friendly, and very knowledgeable. Tons of exhibits, 5 stars a great place to spend 2 hours or more!

Its always such a fun place to go, and I see new things every time. Was there for a wedding reception and it was the coolest one Id ever been to

This is such a cool place! Things for all ages to enjoy

So cool lots of neat creatures

I took my 3 kids there today. They are 12, 9 and 5 years old. They love science and nature. They liked the museum, but I wouldnt dive more than 30 miles to see what they have there. If youre on the way and happen to be there its definitely worth it. There are several live stingrays the kids can actually pet, which is the best experience, even though it makes you wonder what price do these beautiful animals pay for a life in captivity in sch a small aquarium.

Very nice museum. After seeing what I thought was the whole thing, I went back to my hotel room for lunch. The wife and kids went back at 2 for the movie, & I stayed back because seeing a movie about a dog didnt excite me. I wanted a nap. After my nap, I get a text telling me that there was a 2nd building. We werent even aware of it when we were first there. I feel like I missed out due to not being familiar with the place. They should have a pamphlet or program of some sort handed out to each visitor. The kids loved it, & staff were very nice. Prices at the gift shop were a bit on the high side, but not outrageous. Im going back in the morning since our tickets are good for 24hrs. I cant wait to see the stingrays.

Wow! Way more than I expected! Even with the COVID restrictions, we were able to enjoy the entire campus - so so cool!

Very friendly staff. Nice and cool inside. Granddaughter loved looking at the fish and stingrays. A little smaller than we expected. (Saved $2 each by getting tickets online ahead of time.)

This is a very nice place to bring your kids for some fun. The employees are very nice and friendly. Despite the unusual times we live in.... they were ready to explain and made sure you had a good time.I loved the fish and also enjoyed a nice river walk.

Great facility with fantastic wildlife. Wonderful place to take youngsters for the day.

Always an amazing experience. Love coming here with my family. My son loves feed the stingrays and petting them. You always learn something new with the creature feature. The baby shark was cute. Fun and educational!!

Everything was great but just know that there are currently some restrictions due to covid such as the touch tank is not open and other things.

Cool place, bit a bit expensive for what you get. I saw a 4D movie and it skipped, wasnt synced up with the audio and effects and the glasses I received didnt fit and had a wrinkle making the right side have a permanent spot. The other parts were good, but again, too much money.

Our family had an excellent visit. We spent about 4 hours on their campus and the kids loved it. They have an assortment of history and interactive displays that made the visit fun and educational.

Wonderful museum. Went 2 days tons to see and do... didnt get it all done! Will go back on future visits! Add it to your must do list!

Pretty neat. We enjoyed the otters and the area outside.

Outstanding as always. The exhibits and outside interactive points are phenomenal. The Divinci exhibit may have been oversold a bit, but was a solid experience nonetheless.The octopus was a huge hit, as well as all the aquariums and interactive displays.Highly recommended for adults and children alike!!!Thanks again for an awesome day.

Very informative and family friendly. Numerous displays and staff very knowledgeable. I highly recommend visiting this museum.

A day trip with the boyfriend. We enjoyed the Superpower dogs 4D movie. Fun walking through and looking at everything.

Love this museum. They added a petting aquarium with rays since my last visit. Took a couple hours to walk around.Kids loved walking around and seeing all the turtles and other Mississippi aquatic life.Highly recommend visiting if you are in the area.

It was a great time definitely worth the visit! Definitely worth the money, theres a lot to see. Im not sure how great it would be for young young children, theres some fish and animals to look at but I think every other age group would enjoy it!

First time and will defently come back great place for families

This museum highlights the Mississippi River and its wetlands. The focus on more local fish and wildlife works to better get across the importance of protecting the river. Continually be added to and updated, this is a great place for family learning.

A great museum to visit. There are always changing exhibits on the second floor. My wife and I got married there in 2017 and we took our son there this year on our 3 year anniversary.

Its always nice to learn new things or relearn old ones.

So much fun and learning! Bigger than what it looks like, we loved the Stingrays exhibit, you get to touch them! Also the tour of the old paddle boat. Live animals, and history, it was so much fun! Theres something for everyone.

A very beautiful natural history museum. The entrance fees are reasonable and can be reduced in various areas. In addition to the museum, there is also a small outdoor area and an old Mississippi steamer to visit.

We have brought our young children to the National Mississippi River Museum twice, and our family has enjoyed both experiences. There are a good number of static and interactive displays that highlight the history of the local area.We like to look for a memento to remember our trips, and their gift shop leaves no shortage of ideas and choices. The gift shop is also a great place to find Christmas ideas for family and relatives, as there are so many items that you wouldn’t find at the typical stores.As our kids get older, we know the National Mississippi River Museum will stay on our list of places to take the family for a fun day of entertainment and learning.

This place is incredible! The history, the rescued wildlife they support and feature, and the massive exhibits are just hard to describe!

We dont have kids and we still had a great time! Between the history, interactive, indoor/outdoor, and aquarium it was really good. It would also be good for kids!

Great place to visit has multiple buildings and floors of interactive exhibits for the kids. Just a walk across the street from the water resort and casino.

Pros- Beautiful scenery, clean well kept campground, level paved parking spots.Cons- Train noise and vibration but they go quick, the Mayflies were insane all 3 night we were here in mid July.All in all a great place to relax and take in the views for a cheap price.

Ive loved this place since I was kid. I go here at least once every summer. Its amazing

$22 for aquarium & museum + special exhibit, but there is an awful lot there. Option to see 2 short movies for an additional charge. Spent 2 half days, and feel like I missed 40%. 2 full days would not be unreasonable. Free parking.

A nice display of the wildlife and history our beautiful Mississippi River.

Fun little museum right along the river. Lots of variety for all ages. Expect to spend 2-3 hours.

Some things are shut down due to Covid but still worth going

What a great place to take the family. I had no idea how large the campus was. There is a really great mix of exhibits, both indoors and out. There was a surprising number of hands on areas including sting ray pool, water works table, crayfish station and an imaginary play area for the little kids. Great for a few hours of quality entertainment!

In the Smithsonian system this museum is top quality. A real steamer dredge is available to walk through. Lots of Mississippi fish in large aquariums. There are many excellent historical displays highlighting the indigenous people of the area and their ways of life. There is also an area with rotating Smithsonian system exhibits that rotate in and out. They also have outdoor areas with native wildlife such as otters and turtles. There is something here for everyone. Good stuff.

Really solid museum with some great aquariums. The saltwater tank is fantastic with some great staff that provided some great stories and insights into the animals. Go check it out, it not overwhelming large and you can see it all in under 2 hours.

Very cool stuff! Make sure you get outside! We almost missed the coolest parts by not going outside!

The staff was great,They were very knowledgeable about the fish, and sea animals they had in there shop. Great to learn new things that happened in this area, back hundreds of years ago!

Just the best way to spend the day. Lots to see lots to do lots of hands on exhibits. Had a hard time keeping up with my son and we will definitely be back. Staff was wonderful even the bacon burger at the snack bar was good. Cant say enough good things

Nicely setup museum. Good kids exhibits. Adults will enjoy it as well. Nice staff

Was a great time with the kids and learned a few things as well. Definitely a win!

Debuque is a picturesque town and this museum is at the bank of Mississippi river. Location is wonderful.

Absolutely fabulous museum! Glad we went. Price for what you get is reasonable.

It was snowing out when we went.if your into aquariums youll like it, the 4d movies were not worth it the video is messed up and displays blue dots on the screen ruining the effect.Food onsite was expensive.You can leave and come back.

It was an amazing new experience. My boys ages 8 and 6 loved it, Im 30 and still loved everything the museum had to offer.

Very friendly and get to learn about things you never knew and animals...

An incredible time EVERY time. My 10 year old is always engaged, learning, and smiling whether hes petting the rays or just exploring the exhibits. The museum does a great job sharing history and native ecosystems, as well as environmental concerns and solutions. Please enjoy these photos my son snapped today!

Great place for children and adults! There is a lot of cool information, but also entertaining for kids.

Awesome place. Had way more to offer than I was expecting. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. We will be back!

Fun museum to visit with the family and lots of great info!

Its an awesome family place! Highly recommend.

Awesome place to visit and learn. So much to do and see. Love the ever changing exhibits on the second floor. Always something new when we visit. The aquarium is awesome and love the interactive stingray tank.

Kids always have fun there. Due to covid we could not do all the hands no stuff but still a great time.

Pretty awesome and cool experience! Very cool place to take your kids!

Great place to visit, had a wonderful time with people from Chile

So much to see and do. My 2 year old grandson had a blast but by the end of the day he was dragging as much as the bag he carried. His favorite spot was the stingrays where he could put his hands in and touch the rays. He could have stayed there all days. But he was happy to see the Eagle he recognized from Bald Eagle Days in the QC.

Great place to take our boys. They love the exhibits, especially the otters!

Indoor and outdoor exhibits are interesting. Good place to bring kids, there is a ton of places to look around for a good price. I think you can get discounts if you are a resident of Iowa, we were asked, so thats my assumption.

We were really impressed with this aquarium! We thought the admission fee was a bit high until we realized that its actually a pretty good sized aquarium with some cool exhibits. Touching the sting rays was the highlight (and they actually came up to the surface sometimes and stayed to be pet for a second, which I had never experienced with sting rays before!) Knowledgeable and friendly staff. Definitely glad we went.

Awesome two part of the museum and fun thing to come by

Adult kids and grandbaby liked it and had fun!

Very nice place, first time going and Im planning on it not being my last really fun had a fantastic time just looking around and learning

A relaxing, interesting place to visit alone or with family. It was larger then I originally thought with three different sections.

Very cool place.

Fun place to explore. Kids had fun as well!

First time, handicapped easy to get around. Free wheelchair use. Had great time. Will go back.

Wonderful clean place to learn some history and see some animals...Very informative staff...:-)

Been here several times and love it when I go. So many things to see and new things added frequently.

My wife and I enjoyed our time there!

A great experience with the kids! Loved the Panada show. Staff was friendly.

We come to see the Eclipse of 8,21,17. Weather was cloudy. Not museums fault. But they where hosting a Eclipse party it was not very organized. The rest of the place was great expect the food court. Sloppy Joe special where serviced Cold. Took them a long time to get hot 1s back out to us.

The stingrays we got to pet were amazing, and there were lots of interesting and interactive exhibits which we enjoyed.